Selling off midfielder Nemanja Matic, particularly to a direct rival, is not Antonio Conte's idea of doing sound business and the Chelsea manager has admitted that the Serbian's departure for Manchester United is a great loss.
Conte made no effort to disguise his disappointment in Matic's exit and conceded that his side will be worse for the £40million sale.
'Matic knows very well what I think about him. The importance for me about this player, who is a really good player, a top player, very important for our team, but sometimes you must accept this crazy transfer market.
'And sometimes you must accept different decisions. But he is a great loss for us,' Conte told Sky Sport.
The 29-years-old towering holding player made his competitive debut for United in their 2-1 Super Cup defeat by Real Madrid, showing glimpses of his qualities.
Captain Gary Cahill shares his manager's opinion, saying Mourinho has secured a great signing.
'For me Matic is a fantastic player – a real, real top player,' he said.
'I think I had the benefit of realising how good he is when he's playing just in front of you – on and off the ball.
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